Department stores in England may be given protected status
Brutalist department stores may soon be granted protected status as the public body that looks after England’s historic environment reviews the buildings seen by many as icons of the high street.
The announcement from Historic England comes amid widespread closures, compounded by the pandemic, economic turmoil and the rise of online shopping.
Many former stores are left vacant, at risk of demolition and facing calls for revamps in line with climate targets.
“We are researching the history of department stores to provide a national overview of the key architectural and historic phases of their development,” a Historic England spokesperson said.
“This is in response to the changes in retailing which have seen stores close and an increase in requests for them to be considered for listing. The work is at an early stage so we don’t yet know if it will lead to any proposals to list further examples.”
Organisations such as Twentieth Century Society (C20) and SAVE Britain’s Heritage have campaigned to save buildings that have dominated the urban environment for decades, calling for the spaces to be creatively reinvented.
The review of the buildings that were “once the heart of our high streets” was welcomed by SAVE Britain’s Heritage.
“These majestic and prestigious retail palaces that were built to impress and have stood the test of time through the quality of the architecture and the great fondness that people hold for them,” said the organisation’s director, Henrietta Billings.
“We hope this review will lead to more and urgent listings – meaning protection and national recognition – across the country.”
In seven years, more than 50% of department stores across the country have closed, according to C20, leaving vacant nearly 2m sq
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